Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It becomes more apparent each day that inflation has crept back into our lives even though government statistics may not support this viewpoint. Rather, it's the real world cost of food, drugs, fuel, utilities and education that indicate the inflationary trend.

If you are planning to retire any time soon, make sure you understand and account for the reality of inflation. You may want to address this yourself or maybe you will hire a financial planner.

The combination of higher inflation plus flat stock and bond markets can devastate your standard of living. While it's true some investors will find a way to beat market indices, the average guy or gal will have a tough time.

So after years of hard work and dedication to your job, comes the time for your retirement. By this time everyday is a Sunday or holiday, and no more chaotic Mondays. Of course everybody expect a peaceful and restful retirement life but not all succeed in doing so.

It will be successful if you implement a bit of prior planning. The problem is that most people like to live for the moment and get swept away buying the latest gadgets and technological wonders.

There is so much to spend their money on that it is extremely difficult to put a little money aside for retirement. Suddenly the big six zero looms up and retirement is almost upon you and nothing has been planned.

If you are lucky enough to own a house then you do, at least have a life line. You can sell the house and buy something cheaper. You could go to live with the kids. You could even rent a mobile home to live in. If you do sell the home and free up your equity you can use some of this money to live on and then you can spread the rest around some decent investments to bring in some extra income.

Now coming to the reality, retirement is not only about financial planning, another more important priority actually to look upon is the health which has been neglected by most people.With advancing age, trying to remain healthy is not being easily achieved with the risk of developing various types of diseases or illness such as for example; diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease, hear attack, and many other old age related sickness.

Another critical sickness is Parkinson’s disease which also dreads most old age people. Go often for your medical check up for cholesterol LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides.

Optimal numbers as follows; Total cholesterol 200 mg/dL or lower; LDL cholesterol 100 mg/dL or lower; HDL cholesterol 60 mg/dL or higher; Triglycerides 150 mg/dL or lower.Now do not neglect your blood sugar and pressure; A normal fasting blood sugar level is less than 100mg/dL, anything higher indicate that you may be heading for diabetes, blood pressure;

Normal blood pressure should exceed 140/90 mm/Hg, anything higher than 160/95 mm Hg indicate hypertension and treatment should be initiated, and those numbers in between need to b monitored daily.

Another awareness to check is the body mass index (BMI) the measurement of body fat based on height and weight to determine whether you are overweight, obese or within a healthy weight range because overweigh and obesity increase risks of various illness and sickness.

To easily calculate your BMI, one way is to consult a doctor another is you can visit www.nhlsupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm just key in your height and weight to obtain results, after which continue to explore the site for more relevant information on BMI subject.

To improve your health, you must be physically active with various form of exercise to keep fit, firm and to protect from getting illness or sickness.You can always chose the type of exercise like walking, slow jogging, swimming, gardening and doing work around the house, now be kind to your body, any strenuous exercise may be harmful.

Always start slowly then gradually increase your pace if you chose to jog or walk and on the safe side consult your doctor whom will be able to recommend types of exercise that suit your present health.

Apart from exercise, you must eat smart and good food, avoiding high cholesterol stuff especially saturated fats, such as whole milk dairy products, fatty meats and egg yolks.

Increase intake of vegetables, fruits, grain products and if you are a female eat more food that contains calcium such as dairy products (low fat), meat, beans and nuts to strengthen the bones. Also remember to limit your intake of salt, sugar and try to drink at least 7-8 glasses of water per day.

Find places to relax your body and mind, practice meditation, breathing exercise, listening to soft music or other ways of relaxation daily for 20 minutes to avoid stress which can cause anxiety and is harmful to health.

Make it a point to always be readily to learn something new, pick up a hobby, join community volunteer works for worthwhile activities to stay occupy which is to stimulate the brain as s form of exercise to delay memory loss or affected by Parkinson’s disease.

During retirement, you will have more time but just do not waste it, what is more important than “How old are you?” is “How are you old”.Plan for your new lifestyle, live your life in a healthy way, stay young and remember that you are retire from work but not from life.

Take all careful measurement to be healthy and stay happily ever after with your soul mate and regard old age as a gift (Age is a sacred trust)“Life is most delightful when it is on the downward slope” by Seneca

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Some people think that life is permanent, where things will never change and the things that happened today will be the same tomorrow or the day after.

What they fail to realize is that nothing is permanent in this world, everything is impermanent, if you think you cannot cope with change, maybe these suggestions can help you get through.You have to accept changes as a reality.

Most people may have pre-conceived ideas of what lies before them, what will happen in the future, and what to expect based on the things that are happening.

Problems take place when a person with pre-conceived ideas that are fixed experiences change, whether drastic or anticipated.

This is because people who don’t accept change as something that is real will have difficulty in adapting.

Therefore, it is advisable that change should be accepted as true and evident.Change is rooted in the field of psychology, where behavior, mind set, and personal perspectives are taken into consideration.

Experts say that for change to take effect in its most effective manner, the individual must learn and understand that it is a process.

Usually, change appears as a three-step process. While others may have different categories on each stage, still, change can be boiled down to three stages.

1. Decision making

The first stage is decision making. Some experts say it is the stage of unfreezing; where pre-conceived ideas or the so-called mind set are taken apart and the individual is compelled to overcome passive actions and be interactive.

The greatest action an individual can make is when he makes decisions.When making decisions, you have to consider several things. To adapt to change, you have to avoid defense mechanisms.

In this situation, people who are more defensive often reflect on how they despise change. They don’t want to let go of their old ways.

However, or when people are ready for change and have decided to accept it, they are more than willing to try new things and are more open to new information.

2. Preparation

To effect change, you have to learn how to prepare for such occurrences. Experts say that things are more bearable if you know where you’re heading.

Hence, it is important that you have a clear understanding of your goals and objectives. To do this, you must have a deeper analysis of what is happening in the present.

Analyze the trends and predict possible changes that may take place, say, in two to three years.With this, the transition stage will be easier to deal with because you have programmed or set your mind that these things will happen.

Preparation involves notable attempts to effect change, readiness to engage in such changes in the next few months, or the onset of setting goals.

3. Taking actions

Change won’t happen if the concerned individual doesn’t take action. In this stage, the individual is ready to engage will power and develop a sense of independence.

That is because they have finally decided on things, prepared for them, and are now ready to take action. This is where the actual process of change takes place.

For instance, if you want to change the quality of your life, you may start with deciding what actions you have to do to exhibit change.

Say, if you want to be a singer to earn more income. Then prepare yourself for the main event. After that, taking action is subject to your readiness to take steps and start applying for singing jobs in different organizations.

Keep in mind that each phase in the process has its own readiness. This will be the primary factor that will motivate you to move to the next level.

This goes to show that people can make changes by themselves. All they have to do is to follow these simple steps in the process of change and see the kind of future that lies ahead.

Habits, everybody knows that good habits need to be cultivated while bad habits seem to grow like virus.

Habits like self-discipline, self-control, order, and perseverance, are all habits that require a conscious effort to create and maintain.

Procrastination on the other hand, is a behavior takes no effort at all. For better or worse, it's your habits that make or break you.

The amount of self-help information available today is virtually unlimited, but it is of little value without first learning to direct your focus and attention.

The mind moves constantly from one idea to the next with amazing speed, rarely giving its sole attention to one subject for any length of time.

Yet success in anything depends largely on the ability to direct your mind; not only where it goes, but also how long it stays there.

Success, like anything else, must be learned and practiced. A habit starts out as no more than a thought. When this thought is pursued it turns into action.

If repeated often enough this action will impress itself on the subconscious mind and form a habit. Once a habit is formed it becomes automatic and no longer requires the attention of your conscious mind.

Take a close look at your routines. Routines are what form your habits. Examine what is working for you and what is not. Just as with a garden cultivating good habits will also take time and attention.

You need to nurture the flowers in your life and start pulling the weeds. If something is not working for you, get rid of it!

If you wish to be successful in anything you do, follow the clues.Study the habits of successful people.

It is the habits we create that make us who we are. One habit all successful people have in common is the ability to focus their attention for extended periods of time.

How do you make focus a habit?

Start small and work up. Resist the impulse to jump from one unfinished project to another. Write out a priority list and pay particular attention to the order of that list.

Do not let petty distractions interfere with working through each task in the order you have established.

When you overcome the temptation to let your focus and efforts become scattered, you are creating the habit of finishing projects and seeing them through to the end.

Situations will always arise over which we have no control but we can choose how we react to them.

When you are thrown off course make a habit of returning to the task at hand as quickly as possible.

Learn to use your imagination and create a mental image of your end goal. The importance of mental imaging in attaining your goals cannot be over-stated.

This mental image will act as a blueprint for your action plan, bringing your thoughts one step closer to reality.

When you consistently focus on your metal image it will manifest in the physical world.

Regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight, succeed in business, or simply trying to improve your life, the more detailed your image, the better your chances of achieving your ultimate goal.

Acknowledge the small things. Recognize and acknowledge each little success as it comes along. As one success leads to another they add up and you gain confidence in you ability to reach even larger goals.

Everything is learned by degree. Start small and practice daily focusing you attention for ever longer periods of time.

As you learn to focus, one small success leads to another until success becomes a habit.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Most people say you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Is it true, you will not get another chance to impress when out for social gatherings, business meetings, or interviewing for a job?

The answer is pratically NO.

It is just most of us don’t even know where to start when it comes to giving the public with the right idea about who we are and what we can do.

When one realizes that causing the wrong first impression can cost you a potential friendship, relationship or job, it suddenly becomes very important that you learn just what to do and say to make a great first impression.

First action, one has to do when meeting someone is to maintain eye contact. We were told by our teacher, parents or elders about this piece of advice and yet we somehow still manage not to practice it.

Those whom has a shifty glance appears dishonest and most people won’t want to associate with people they don’t find trustworthy.

Maintain your eye contact without staring, just be normal with eyes looking straight into their face and soon you will be accepted by them.

These gesture bring forth lots of friends, or you may be accepted during a job interview.

People don’t often do is listen well first, before you start to speak during their first meeting with someone.

We often concentrate on what others might be thinking, rather than paying attention to what they may say or their subject of conversation.

This means we can’t properly respond and ask questions. As everyone can probably attest to, this is very annoying and makes one want to end the conversation immediately.

After all, if someone isn’t listening to what you are saying, why bother talking to them?

Do remember well in your heart that is to reduce fidgeting. Even just rubbing your ear or eye while talking can make people think you are distracted or dishonest.

Keep your hand movements to a minimum and avoid tugging at your clothing. By doing so makes a person appear confident and relaxed.

We all want to associate with people that are comfortable in their own style. Display to people that you are one of the best person to get to know in the room.

Making an amazing first impression isn’t difficult. Initially, one might spend a lot of time trying to remember just what they should and shouldn’t be doing, but after a while it will become your natural self. It is advisable not to be an actor but present yourself correctly and naturally

It will be wise to buy yourself a book or do additional research online regarding making good first impressions. There have been many studies done about just what works and what doesn’t.Take the time to study a few great social moves and put them into action. Your social life will undoubtedly be enjoyful, when one is being shone upon by the public spotlight.